Why would the Empress Dowager suddenly assign her a cook for no reason?

Su Yushan felt a sense of rejection and politely declined with a forced smile, "Thank you for your kindness on my behalf, but there are cooks here, and besides, I can cook myself, so there is no need to bring in another cook."

Granny An replied, "This is the Empress Dowager's will. We are here to serve Your Highness on her orders. Please do not make things difficult for us."

Although she called herself a slave, she did not nod. Her attitude was extremely arrogant and unquestionable. She didn't look like a palace servant at all; she acted as if she were the master!

Granny An used the Empress Dowager to pressure her, claiming it was for her own good. Su Yushan had no reason to argue, so she could only let them stay.

Around 3 PM, Hongli sent someone to tell him that he would be having dinner with Hongzhou that evening and would not be coming.

So Su Yushan instructed Chang Yue to tell the small kitchen to cook fewer dishes.

As dinner time approached, the palace servants began serving the dishes. Su Yushan frowned upon seeing them.

"Radish and pork rib soup?"

Su Yushan looked at Chang Yue in surprise, "Didn't you tell them my likes and dislikes?"

Chang Yue was furious when she heard about it. "I've already told her, but Granny An said it's not important."

Granny An, who was standing nearby, chimed in:

"Your Majesty, you are pregnant, so you need to pay attention to your diet. The cook has already prepared a menu for you, and she has carefully planned what dishes to eat at each meal. These dishes are all beneficial to the fetus, so Your Majesty should eat more of them."

What kind of cook is this? She didn't even ask for my opinion before deciding on the menu!

"There are many things that are good for the fetus, there is no need to eat radishes. I don't like the smell of radishes, take this soup away!"

Granny An, however, did not listen and continued to persuade her.

"Your Majesty, the child is the priority right now. Even if you don't like it, you should still have a few sips. This cook's father is a chef in the Imperial Kitchen. Her cooking skills are excellent, and even the Empress Dowager praises her soups."

No matter what she said, Su Yushan refused to taste the soup. "If you don't like it, you don't like it. It's a matter of personal taste, not cooking skills!"

With a slight glance, Granny An said coldly, "Your Highness, the Empress Dowager instructed us to serve you well. If you make things difficult for us, the Empress Dowager will be displeased if she finds out."

This old nanny is taking advantage of her age and even using the Empress Dowager to suppress her! If she doesn't drink, will Granny An complain to the Empress Dowager?

Su Yushan wasn't afraid of her complaining at all. "It's clearly you who are making things difficult for me! I eat whatever I feel like, why should you decide?"

Su Yushan ignored them and simply told Yunfang to remove the radish and pork rib soup from the table, and also ordered Granny An to leave.

Granny An only thought that she had to stay by the side of the Imperial Concubine.

Upon seeing her, Su Yushan felt annoyed and simply put the ivory chopsticks aside, saying, "Then you stay here! I have no appetite and can't eat."

Su Yushan then threatened her in return, and Granny An finally had some reservations and reluctantly curtsied and took her leave.

Watching the old lady's departing figure, Su Yushan felt a headache coming on. This old woman had only been here for one day and had already made her unhappy. How was she going to get through the rest of the day?

When a person is in a bad mood, their appetite will decrease. Tonight, Su Yushan didn't eat much; she only ate half a bowl of rice before going into the West Warm Pavilion.

Before the palace servants cleared away the dishes, Granny An took a special look and shook her head. The dishes on the table had hardly been touched!

Granny An sighed inwardly, thinking how difficult it was to please Consort Chun. The cook's dishes were so good, yet she still picked and chose. She wondered what Consort Chun really wanted to eat, dragon meat, perhaps?

Granny An couldn't control her, so she decided to report the matter to the Empress Dowager the next day.

That evening, Hongli dined with his fifth brother. The two brothers drank a few cups of wine and unknowingly missed their appointed time.

It was nearly 9 PM when he returned to Huanbi Island.

The palace servants had already prepared hot water for him to bathe and change clothes.

After washing up, Hongli went to the tent, only to find that Yushan was already asleep.

He carefully entered the tent, but still woke her up.

Su Yushan slowly turned around, opened her sleepy eyes, glanced at him, and let out a soft, nasal moan.

"You're back!"

Hongli lifted the covers and entered, tapping her nose. "I'm back a little late, sorry to have disturbed your sleep."

His fingertips slowly slid down to her soft lips, gently caressing them, making Su Yushan's heart itch slightly. She raised her fingers and grabbed his hand, not allowing him to do anything improper.

"Stop fooling around, it's getting late, go to sleep!"

Hongli did not lie down. "I have just taken a bath. Do I still smell of alcohol? If you can't stand the smell, I will go and sleep on the couch."

In reality, Yu Shan didn't smell any alcohol, but since he said so, she simply went along with him:

"There seems to be a slight smell of alcohol in it!"

Pregnant women are particularly sensitive to smells, and Hongli knew this, which is why he was so cautious and sat up abruptly.

"Then I'll sleep on the bed tonight."

He was just about to get out of the tent and put on his shoes when she sat up, hugged him from behind, and said softly:

"What am I going to do if I can't sleep alone without you by my side?"

It was rare to see her act coquettish, and Hongli was quite pleased, but her words were not to be believed!

"Weren't you sleeping soundly before I got back?"

Su Yushan felt quite embarrassed after being exposed, but she refused to admit it and argued:

"I waited for you for so long, but you didn't come back, so I finally fell asleep!"

Gently stroking her fingers, Hongli explained apologetically, "I was in a good mood tonight and had a few too many drinks with Lao Wu. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Su Yushan smiled indifferently and said softly, "It's alright. You can be busy if you have something to do. Everyone needs their own space. I won't ask you to be with me every day."

His Yu Shan was always so understanding; it was hard for him to even see her jealous! Hongli shook his head and chuckled, turning around to gaze at her, asking with concern,

"How are you feeling today? Can you eat? Do you still feel nauseous or vomiting?"

With a slight pout of her red lips, Su Yushan snorted, "I originally had a bit of an appetite, but then I got so angry that I ate nothing!"

Upon hearing this, Hongli frowned deeply. "Who dares to be so bold as to anger my beloved concubine?"

Just thinking about that old lady's face made Su Yushan feel uncomfortable. "Who else could it be? Granny An, of course!"

“Granny An?” Hongli thought carefully for a moment. “I don’t think there is such a person on Huanbi Island. I only remember that there was a Granny An by the Empress Dowager’s side.”

“It’s her!” Su Yushan complained to him, feeling wronged. “The Empress Dowager sent her here to stay on Huanbi Island and watch over me from now on.”